TRIPS, TIPS & DEALS.

Here's an idea to float: A holiday on a houseboat

October 24, 2004|By Margaret Backenheimer, Special to the Tribune.

If Thanksgiving seems a bit too "same-old, same-old," consider hosting the holiday on a houseboat. Phoenix-based Forever Resorts is offering a Nov. 24-28 "Early Board and Bird" houseboat package that will keep you afloat on Lake Amistad in Texas, Lake Mohave or Lake Mead in Nevada, Lake Don Pedro in California or along the California Delta near Sacramento.

Included are four nights on a 56-foot houseboat with bedding, towels and a fully equipped kitchen, for $995 plus tax. Boaters get to board their craft the day before Thanksgiving so they can get everything stowed away and ready for their voyage Thursday morning. They also receive a turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner. The houseboats sleep 10 people. The package is also available Dec. 22-26 for Christmas, with everyone encouraged to bring along their favorite Yule decorations for the boat. (800-255-5561; www.foreverhouseboats.com)

HOT FLASH

Cherry Valley Lodge in Granville, Ohio, has put a different spin on a "girlfriends' weekend." Just for women of a certain age, Cherry Valley's "MenoPause Escape" takes a light approach to certain weighty issues of the "change," offering a therapeutic Menopause Massage, a "Chillow" cooling pillow, a folding fan, a book titled "The Wisdom of Menopause" and a flax-seed candy bar believed to alleviate moodiness and hot flashes. Also part of the package are accommodations for one night, breakfast and a bottle of the resort's private-label wine. Good year-round, the "MenoPause Escape" is priced at $260 for one and $350 for two, including tax and gratuity. Cherry Valley Lodge is about 25 miles east of Columbus. (800-788-8008; www.cherryvalleylodge.com)

COOPERSTOWN STUFFING

In Iroquois, O-Te-Sa-Ga means "the meeting place," so it's fitting that the Otesaga Hotel Resort in Cooperstown, N.Y., offers friends and families a place to meet during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The "Family Thanksgiving Weekend Celebration" covers two nights' accommodations, two dinners and two breakfasts, for $500 for two. Valid Nov. 24-28, the package includes movies, bingo, hayrides and other resort activities, as well as a sightseeing tour and tickets to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Children under 7 partake of the package at no charge, while those ages 7-18 cost $80 each. Tax, service charge and transportation to Cooperstown are extra. Santa and Mrs. Claus plan to arrive in Cooperstown via horse-drawn carriage on Nov. 26, with wagon rides and hot cocoa for all. (800-348-6222; www.otesaga.com)

RAIL SAVER

A special three-day First-Class France Railpass, originally valid for summer travel only, is now good through Dec. 31 if purchased by Nov. 30. With the $199 pass, a visitor can ride the rails throughout France during any three days within a one-month period. Children under 4 travel at no charge, and those ages 4-11 get the pass for half the adult price. Pass holders also receive discounts on some tourist attractions and activities, as well as special fares on Euro-star. The pass can be purchased from Rail Europe, a subsidiary of the French National Railroads. (888-382-7245; www.raileurope.com)

VIRGINIA FOR PET LOVERS

Travelers taking their pets to Virginia can go online to check out 367 pet-friendly lodgings, from simple campgrounds to chic country inns, as well as pet-themed events such as the Fredericksburg Dog Festival and Doggie Happy Hour in Alexandria. Alfresco restaurants that allow pets are also detailed on the site. (www.virginia.org)

CALIFORNIA FREEBIES

The "Red Tile Walking Tour," a self-guided architectural stroll through downtown, is laid out in the "2005 Santa Barbara County Visitors Guide." (800-676-1266; www.santabarbaraca.com) . . . According to "2004-2005 Guide to Carmel," there's a dog bakery, sock shop and English garden store within the 1-square-mile village. (800-550-4333; www.carmelcalifornia.org)